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Saudi Arabia, Qatar hold back big weaponry from Syrian rebels

By Robert F. WorthThe New York Times

Posted:
10/07/2012 12:01:00 AM MDT

Updated:
10/07/2012 12:18:24 AM MDT

RIYADH, saudi Arabia — For months, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been funneling money and small arms to Syria's rebels but have refused to provide heavier weapons, such as shoulder-fired missiles, that could allow opposition fighters to bring down government aircraft, take out armored vehicles and turn the war's tide.

While they have publicly called for arming the rebels, they have held back, officials in both countries said, in part because they have been discouraged by the U.S., which fears that the heavier weapons could end up in the hands of terrorists.

As a result, the rebels have just enough weapons to maintain a stalemate, the war grinds on and more jihadist militants join the fray every month.

"You can give the rebels AKs, but you can't stop the Syrian regime's military with AKs," said Khalid al-Attiyah, a state minister for foreign affairs in Qatar.

Providing the rebels with heavier weapons "has to happen," he added. "But first we need the backing of the United States, and preferably the U.N."

Saudi officials said the U.S. was not barring them from providing shoulder-fired missiles but warning about the risks. The Saudis and Qataris said they hoped to convince their allies that those risks could be overcome.

"We are looking at ways to put in place practices to prevent this type of weapon from falling into the wrong hands," one Arab official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity in line with diplomatic protocol.

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U.S. support for such weapons transfers is unlikely to materialize any time soon. President Barack Obama's administration has made clear that it has no desire to deepen its efforts, mostly providing logistical support for the rebels.

Administration officials would not comment on what they are telling their Persian Gulf allies about arming the rebels.

"We are doing what we feel is appropriate to help the unarmed opposition to be more effective and working closely with the opposition to prepare for a transition," the State Department said in response to a question on the subject.

Backing from the U.N. Security Council, where any intervention is blocked by the firm vetoes of Russia and China, seems even less likely. Nor is the call for an Arab-led military action in Syria, voiced two weeks ago by the emir of Qatar at the U.N. General Assembly, expected to bear fruit.

Many Saudi and Qatari officials fear that the fighting in Syria is awakening deep sectarian animosities and, barring such intervention, could turn into an uncontrollable popular jihad with consequences far more threatening to Arab governments than the Afghan war of the 1980s.

Already, there are signs of an uptick in the number of young men crossing illegally into Syria from Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries, and of fundraising across the gulf to help the rebels acquire heavier weapons. The fighting has spilled into Turkey, which shelled Syria for three days last week.

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